Electrical contacts are typically small and fragile. When stamped off a die as individual parts, or bulk packaged, they are easily damaged via normal handling. For example, a fragile electrical lead at a distal end of an electrical contact may be easily snapped or bent if handled without due care.
In order to reduce the susceptibility of damaging individually stamped parts, a plurality of electrical contacts are often stamped and connected to a carrier strip. After the stamping process, the electrical contacts and the associated carrier strip are spooled onto a cardboard or plastic reel.
After the stamping process, electrical contacts are often plated with metals that increase conductivity and minimize or prevent corrosion. For example, the contacts may be plated with tin, gold or palladium. Portions of the contacts that are individually stamped are generally bulk or barrel plated. As such, the thickness of the plating material on the electrical contact is typically uniform.
If the electrical contacts are stamped with an associated carrier strip and positioned on a reel, however, the plating material may be selectively applied on functional areas of the contacts, thereby reducing the amount of plating material used. Consequently, manufacturing costs are reduced.
Electrical contacts typically remain connected to a carrier strip and reel until they are ready to be assembled into a housing. Because the contacts are secured to a continuous strip at known distances from one another, automated processes may be employed to remove the electrical contacts from the carrier strip.
Many electrical contacts include bent or angled portions. For example, a distal end of an electrical contact may be bent out of plane from the base depending on various applications. Such out-of-plane electrical contacts are not amenable to being reeled because one layer of contacts would interfere with and damage another layer of contacts positioned above or below the layer. Consequently, a manufacturer is unable to take advantage of the plating and handling advantages of a reeled strip of electrical contacts.